The Bengal tiger Richard Parker is sometimes terrifying in “Life of Pi,” even though it is just a puppet (Photo courtesy of Motley Crew Media).
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(“Life of Pi” trailer courtesy of National Theatre)
Technology has significantly impacted entertainment in numerous ways.
Many movie buffs and television fanatics might believe that art needs out-of-this-world graphics to come across as realistic and compelling.
But the Broadway play “Life of Pi,” which is running at Houston’s Hobby Center until Aug. 24, demonstrates how unique puppetry and a timeless story can be far more breathtaking than a big-budget Hollywood film.
In “Life of Pi,” the character Pi’s (Taha Mandviwala) life is not perfect.
But how can he complain when he lives and works at an Indian zoo with his parents and sister?
For a person who loves animals, working with the most exotic creatures on the planet is the perfect occupation.
In fact, it is not actually a job, necessarily; it is a way of life for Pi and his family.
Pi’s relatives who do not work at the zoo are nearby, too.
His aunt works as a math instructor at a local school, where her pupils include her nephew Pi and her niece.
Despite their idyllic life, the sanctuary provided by the zoo cannot protect the family from the upheaval happening in the streets of their Indian town.
Because of the bickering of the various political parties in India, the work of the people is not getting handled.
Sound familiar?
Pi’s Father (Sorab Wadia) believes that the country needs an alpha male who will maintain law and order in the streets.
The turmoil in the community has led to less business for the zoo.
In “Life of Pi,” Father has tried everything from new exhibits to a brand-new Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
However, their new attractions do little to bring more attention to the fledgling business.
Father desperately wants to leave India for better opportunities overseas.
Unfortunately, his visa applications constantly get denied, forcing the family to deal with the upheaval in their homeland.
Despite the rejection, Father does not lose hope of taking his family from the turmoil of India to the stability of Canada.
When the visas are finally approved, Father could not be more excited, even though his family is less enthusiastic.
In “Life of Pi,” the family is more apprehensive about their relocation when they realize that they are not traveling to Canada on a commercial vessel but on a cargo ship with no restaurant or cafeteria that serves their usual Hindu vegetarian diet.
Despite the lack of culinary options, the family cannot be too upset because they have a ride to their new country.
Furthermore, the ship even allowed them to take some of their exotic animals with them on their way to North America.
Unfortunately, storms in life often come at the worst of times.
The family survived the political storms in India.
Additionally, they survived the storms that come with running a successful business, which can be a rollercoaster of emotions.
But how will the family fare when dealing with an actual weather storm while on a vessel in the middle of an ocean?
The play “Life of Pi” begins as Pi hides underneath a hospital bed in Mexico as he is being interviewed by people who desperately want to know what happened on the ship.
The storm and its impact on the boat and the crew forced Pi into some desperate efforts to survive.
Thankfully, he was able to survive at sea for much longer than should be humanly possible.
Logic and science say that Pi should have died long ago.
But what does logic and science matter when a person has faith and wisdom guiding their every move?
In “Life of Pi,” Mr. Okamoto (Alan Ariano) is an atheist who does not believe that Pi could have survived the ordeal in the way in which he describes it.
But when one sees a walking and talking miracle, it is hard to ignore the role of faith and a Supreme Being.
“Life of Pi” shines because it deals with a theological dilemma that all face while on this side of the afterlife.
Does God really exist?
If God really exists, why does he allow so much pain?
And if God really exists, what religion truly represents Him?
In “Life of Pi,” the titular character seemingly has everything a young man would want.
He has a great family.
He is receiving a great education.
He has a job that he loves.
But all those things do not prevent the hardships of life.
Therefore, Pi searches for peace and comfort in religion.
But even when one finds peace from faith, it does not prevent the storms of life from wreaking havoc.
And that is the one thing that is most frustrating for religious people.
They can see the goodness of God.
But that does not stop them from experiencing the bad things in life.
However, it is when one is experiencing the real storms of life that God appears clearly and directs the path of a true believer.
And when the storm ceases, and the person appears dry and unaffected, others will doubt their testimony, initially.
But when a person is truly “convicted” by their belief, it has a way of rubbing off on others.
“Life of Pi” also shines because of the puppetry.
The animals seem real, or as real as possible in a stage play.
Richard Parker will sometimes even seem terrifying.
The only hiccup in the Aug. 19 performance of “Life of Pi” in Houston was that Savidu Geevaratne had to replace Mandviwala early in the show, delaying the performance for approximately 15 minutes.
But delay does not mean denial, as many say in the Christian faith.
And there is no denying that “Life of Pi” is simply phenomenal, even without the technological advancements that Hollywood often leans on to produce greatness.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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